Lifelong Learner

GRIT

Our company had its First Marketing Retreat which included a section on GRIT.

Definition of GRIT = the perseverance and passion for higher order goals despite distractions and adversity.

Because our marketplace and our consumer changes every day, what type of marketer should I try to be? One who is good at connecting, one who can adapt to anything, chameleon… NO the answer is a “Focuser”.

A marketer who has mastered the skill of Focus will come out with the strongest performance. Why? Because they have GRIT…

QUIZ TIME… How Gritty are you?

I finish whatever I begin. VERSUS I am good at adapting to new situations and demands.

I am happy to work independently for long periods of time. VERSUS I seek as much feedback as possible to improve my work.

I am motivated by achieving long-term goals. VERSUS I am motivated by impact.

If you answered more of the first answer means you are more gritty. If you answered more of the second answer you are not so gritty.

Grit is about SUSTAINED (not maximal) PERFORMANCE.

Analogy: In football grit is continuous weekends of studying the playbook VERSUS good performance in a 40-yard dash or catching drills.

Grit is now the optimal predictor of success, no longer the highly overrated “Talent”…

If you want Grit the Secret is practice. Specifically your practice must be intentional or deliberate. For example it only counts if you focus by yourself, no half-ass efforts that include practicing with friends and other distractions (music, t.v.!).

With Grit you are scored by (repeatedly) SHOWING UP to the race NOT how well you perform once at the race. It is about sticking with something not for the short-term but digging deep for the long-haul. NEVER GIVE UP, don’t succumb to temptation and have a long-term goal.

Nowadays… Talent requires Grit… heccck yeahhh!!

Credit to my SVP’s Presentation and Jonah Lehrer article in Wired which made up the content of this post.